North Korea warns that the visit of US nuclear-capable submarine could force Pyongyang to use its nuclear weapons

North Korea issued a warning on Thursday (July 20), stating that the visit of a US nuclear-capable submarine to South Korea could potentially compel Pyongyang to use its nuclear weapons within the framework of North Korean law on the nuclear force policy. The US Ohio-class submarine’s arrival in Busan port prompted North Korean Defense Minister Kang Sun Nam to threaten that the situation “may fall under the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons specified in the DPRK law on the nuclear force policy.”

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is North Korea’s official name. The defense minister described the presence of the submarine as an “undisguised and direct nuclear threat to the DPRK,” claiming it marked the first deployment of strategic nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula in over four decades, according to reports from state media KCNA.

The minister asserted that the armed forces of the DPRK would carry out their mission responsibly to defend the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and fundamental interests while preventing a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula.

North Korea had adopted an extensive nuclear law last year, outlining various scenarios in which it could potentially use its nuclear arsenal, including pre-emptive nuclear strikes if it feels threatened.

Relations between North and South Korea have worsened as Kim Jong Un has called for increasing weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons, while Seoul has strengthened its ties with Washington.

The visit of the US nuclear-capable submarine to South Korea was a response to North Korea’s series of banned weapons tests, including nuclear ballistic missiles.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol visited the Ohio-class submarine on Wednesday and warned North Korea that if it attempted to use nuclear weapons against the South, it would lead to the demise of its regime.

Ohio-class submarines have the capacity to carry up to 20 Trident II ballistic missiles. The US Navy typically does not confirm whether a submarine is carrying nuclear weapons before it sets sail.

In response to the escalating tensions, the allies held their first Nuclear Consultative Group meeting in Seoul on Tuesday to enhance their joint response to any nuclear attack by North Korea. Seoul and Washington have increased their defense cooperation, conducting joint military exercises involving advanced stealth jets and US strategic assets.